BENGALURU, Oct 21 — An FIR has been filed against Ola Electric founder Bhavish Aggarwal and senior executives following the death of a company engineer who allegedly left behind a 28-page note accusing them of workplace harassment and non-payment of dues.
The deceased, 38-year-old K. Aravind, worked as a Homologation Engineer with Ola Electric since 2022. Police said Aravind attempted suicide on September 28 at his Chikkalasandra apartment and later died during treatment at Maharaja Agrasen Hospital.
His brother, Ashwin Kannan, in a police complaint, claimed that Aravind was “mentally harassed and denied salary and allowances,” which drove him to take his own life. The note, recovered from his room, named Bhavish Aggarwal, Subrat Kumar Das, and others, alleging “prolonged mental harassment.”
The family also pointed to a ₹17.46 lakh transaction credited to Aravind’s bank account two days after his death, calling it “suspicious.” Police registered a case under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on October 6 at Subramanyapura police station.
Ola Electric, in an official statement, said it has challenged the FIR before the Karnataka High Court and obtained protective orders for its officials. “Aravind was with Ola Electric for over three years and never raised any complaint or grievance. His work did not involve direct contact with the top management,” the company said.
Expressing condolences, the spokesperson added, “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of our colleague and have extended all possible support to the family, including prompt settlement of dues.”
The company said it is fully cooperating with investigators and reiterated its commitment to “a safe and respectful work environment.”
Police officials said the investigation would focus on verifying the allegations in Aravind’s note, the salary payment records, and internal communications from the company.
